The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-10-08

Mr., ARMSTRONG OENOUaCES THE RING.
Cnudid.ItCs-A strong Letter From
n Washington County Demo-
Crtt-A Review of the


Cnndid.,tcs-A strong Letter From
Washington County Demo-
crat-A Review OF the
Situation.
The IIAgrrstown Nr"ld "y.i Torchiight |
for last wccl, published the following let
ter from Mr.. Alexander Armstrong,
Democratic member OF the legislature
from Washington county. declaring his |
intention to support the Republican
ticket:
To Ng Fj1o,r CHi.,rS Of Washington
County:
After the action Of the late Republican
State Convention, my earliest impress
Sions We're to give my support to the
Republican nominees. Having been con
WINGED by experience, that 1T is best ito
make haste SLOWLY" | determined to
wait until the nominees of the Republi-
can party Signitiad by letter their accep
taucc of the nominations. This they
have now all done, and my appreh en-
sions and conclusions i'll regard to the
step now take have become more de-
cSlve upon a review of political events
as they are now tranSplrlng.
The reasons which have influenced me
to this determination are briefly these:
believe that the politics OF Baltimore
city are thoroughly co:rup'; that the will
of the people in that city has been re-
peatedly Subv2rieh. 1t has been charged,
and it is universally believed, that the
present. incum bent OF the mayorship of
Baltimore holds his flee by a traudu-
lent majority. can take no atis'actior
in the success OF my party, if IL be reach
ed by fraudulent practices, and being
we'll satisfied that these practices do ex-
list, am constrained to express my alb
florence of them. When you tamper
with the ballot, and therby defeat the
supreme viii of the people, you under
mine and destroy Republican institutions.
In the elections i'll the counties of the
state, except, perhaps, in Anne Arundel
and Baltimore, which lie next the city,
fraud is reduced To minimum. Were
it not for the use of bribery, freely re-
sorted IL by both parties, we could say
that the elections are absolutely fair. In
the city of BALTIMORE, however, it has
been apparent that the whole election
machinery is subservjeut to fraud, and
that under it the most palpabe frauds on
the suffrage have beeen perpetrated. At
the last congressional election the devel-
DIlIlfItS HAVE bttu tllIC
of the courts has been taken up the trial
of election judges and clerks. Convic
tons have bueen had, and these violators
of the highest rights of the people are
now imprisoned
| Reading with care and interest daily
| events, it is clear to my MUD that it is
intended at the impending election to
| bring about a fraudulent result. The
| rnrr tf the have declined tn
permit representative citizens to be pre-
sent in their offices to take + cord of their
proceedings and have with violent hands
! elected them, and the court has been
| called upon 70 sustain SO manifest a rg ht.
| One of the reg listers, a candidate tor the
| legislature III his ward, declined, upon
the most frivolous pretenseS, to suffer a
member of the Reform League to be
present in his office to witness the regis
tration of voters. Public attention has
| been drawn to the fact that he is the reg
| lister and legislative candidate In the same
| ward. Public sentiment has reyolted at
the improperly OF the situation, and yet
this gentleman has neither resigned or
Withdrawal. lie ills his office and drives
out any body that comes there i'll the in
terest Of purity OF elections.
Tne registers nave not only sought to
exclude retorm citiZers from their regis
tration places, but they refused, on de-
maud to furnish lists of names stricken
OF at the late sitting. Read your daily
paper from nov on until the day Of cleo.
ton, and you will tind the courts in Bal
timore city busy i'll striking off fraudu-
| lent names from the registration lists.
The registers have been applied to, and
upon the clearesJ evidence that the par
ties are non existent or non resident they
have refused to strike them OFT, nccessi-
tating appeals and expense npon the
city. And We're the rh,le time Of all tie
courts n tie city lent to the work, from
day to day, until the Ssh of November,
they would not be able, at the present
rate OF progress, to relieve the regstra-
ton lists OF their bogus names. What is
the plain duty placed by law on the
twenty registers of the city has been
thrown back upon the courts.
III the city OF Baltimore, with its shift
lug population, all the registers could &C
compllsh III three weeks of their sitting
was to strike oil about two Thousand
names. In Washington county, with one
tenth of the registered vote, there were
i've hundred names stricken oft. Tne
reasons for the IetentioLs of these nam es
upon the lists are open for the determi-
nation of every citizen. Some friend tells
me that all this may be true, but what
have We to do with Baltimore city? My
reply is that we have not so much to do
with Baltimore city as Baltimore city has
to do with us.
She can give us a fraudulently elected
governor, aud through the exercise of his
executive functions III the appointment of
state officers the fraud Will permeate
every section OF the state.
SIZE can give US Il iraudulently elected
legislature, whose totes may shape and
control every piece of legislation, local
and general, that is submitted to the
General Assembly. With her twenty -one
votes thrown en- nasse for or against a
measure, Can We not see how she may eff
feet the public veal?
These things, acknowledged by men of
all parties, how does the Democratic
platform deal with them? The voters are
begulled by y resolution of generalities of
the same kind and temper as those al
ways introduced tor reform within the
party The K publican platform, on the
r other hand, is definite and clear. 1t speaks
out upon tins subject with emphasis, and
gives some thing for the mind to rest upon
The latter has the ring of the true metal
it deals WIKI present, issues.
The former is pewter-lt has no life or
vitality il It.
But the Il, publican p3rty has not rest
ed upon its platform. IL has given prac-
teal expression to it by nominating men,
not OF offensive ptrtlsaAsh!p, but men Sc
lected from the walks OF private lIie-dis-
tiugu!shtd fer thcu business capacity
and eXperleuce-fOr their integrity and
sound conservatism. Their letters of ac-
ceptancc are plain, manly and straight
onward, and give ASSURANCES that appeal
to every tar minded and liberty loving
citizen III this crisis OF our states affairs
Again, and briefly, for | must not ex-
tend this letter further. Upon the CON
stitutional convention questionable
Democratic managers q say managers,
for | would not GIshOnor the Democratic
party by holding it responsible for the
dOingS Of the late state convention in
| Baltimore) have behaved i'll a most tenn
porizing way. They have not declared
Tor convention, although it is their over
weerlng desire to have one, but in the
| face OF ii tremendous public sentiment
| against them, they have assumed that
| there Will be a convention. They give a
| hint to the strict party man as to now he
| should vote, without arOuSlug the attcn-
| IlOn OF the discerning.
On the other hand, oveIrulug the nat
| oral suggestions Of party instinct (for the
present constitution Is the handIwork of
| the Democratic party aud one of which
| they need never be ashamed) the Repb-
leans have declared in an uncqulyocai
way against the call. In view of the